Effects of Exercise Snack Program on Quality of Life, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Metabolic Flexibility in Elderly Cancer Survivors: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Background: Cancer has a high mortality rate and leaves physical and mental difficulties even after treatment. When it afflicts frail elderly people, it poses a greater burden to them and society. Regular exercise helps to restore the deteriorated health of cancer survivors. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a short-term, high-repetition, home-based “exercise snack” program with those of a traditional, continuous, moderate-intensity exercise format on key health outcomes in elderly cancer survivors, including quality of life, cardiorespiratory fitness, and metabolic flexibility. Methods: A short-duration, high-repetition exercise snack group (ESG, n = 17) and a traditional exercise group (TEG, n = 17) were compared after 12 weeks of training. The effects of exercise on quality of life, cardiorespiratory fitness, metabolic flexibility, and blood lipids were measured. Results: Quality-of-life vitality, social functioning, cardiorespiratory fitness VO2 peak, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were improved more in ESG than in TEG (p < 0.05). Metabolic flexibility showed that fat utilization increased and carbohydrate utilization decreased post-training compared to pre-training at VO2 peak 20 and 40% in both groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: In both groups, cardiorespiratory fitness was shown along with physical and psychological improvements in quality of life, and the efficiency of metabolic flexibility was also improved. Therefore, short-term, frequent exercise may be an appropriate exercise alternative for elderly people with difficulties.